The Navy’s air training command will retire the last of its Rockwell T-39 Sabreliner training aircraft this summer, closing out a four-decade service of training Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) in navigation and radar intercept procedures.Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., responsible for training NFOs to operate the weapon and sensor systems in the Navy and Marine Corps’ multiseat tactical jets, such as the F/A-18, EA-18G and EA-6B, will retire the last T-39N versions in August. The T-39G non-radar versions already have been withdrawn from service.The T-39s will be replaced by a combination of simulators and the T-45 Goshawk training jet.

The Navy acquired 42 T-39Ds, the first of which entered service in 1963. This fleet was retired in 1984, replaced by 15 Cessna T-47As under a services contract. However, the T-47A services contract was not renewed because of contract irregularities, so the Navy had a batch of 17 Sabreliners refurbished as T-39Ns and placed them in service in late 1991, later joined by eight T-39Gs converted from CT-39G rapid-response transports.The Navy will continue to operate a single T-39D assigned to Air Test & Evaluation Squadron 31 for test work at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif.

June 29, 2014

An Indian naval warship reached the Persian Gulf on Saturday as part of New Delhi's contingency plans for a possible evacuation of Indians stranded in Iraq.The navy has deployed INS Mysore, a 6,900-tonne guided missile destroyer, in the Persian Gulf to cut down on reaction time if orders for evacuation are given.

INS Mysore was among the warships involved in evacuating Indian nationals from Libya more than three years ago.The navy has been carrying out anti-piracy patrols in the international waters off the Gulf of Aden since October 23, 2008 to protect Indian sea-borne trade and instill confidence in the seafaring community. Currently, a Talwar-class frigate is deployed there and it could also be used for evacuation if there's an emergency.The navy had evacuated more than 2,500 Indians and foreign nationals from Lebanon in July 2006 following the war between Israel and the Hezbollah.

The first RNZAF Beechcraft T-6C advanced trainer has made its first flight from Beechcraft’s Wichita facility in Kansas.The aircraft – NZ1401 – made the flight with a Beechcraft company crew at the controls and lasted two hours, and functionality checks such as flight performance and handling characteristics were conducted. It will carry the US civil registration of N2824B while the initial flight test program is completed.

New Zealand ordered 11 T-6Cs in January to replace CT-4E trainers in the basic course, and elements of the advanced course currently conducted by the King Air. The first six RNZAF Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) are due to commence their conversion to the T-6C in August, and the first four aircraft will be delivered by the end of this year.The aircraft will be based at Ohakea, and will commence pilot training in mid-2015 by which time all 11 aircraft will have been delivered.

The Russian Navy launched a new and improved Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine today in St. Petersburg. Named the Rostov-on-Don, the sub will join the Black Sea Fleet and further bolster Moscow's naval presence in the region."We expect that the Rostov-on-Don, following sea trials in the Baltic and Barents seas under its own power, will come to Sevastopol at the end of the year," a Black Sea Fleet representative said at the ceremony.

"In the next two years, six submarines of this type will be built for the Black Sea Fleet," he added.
Russia has shown a renewed strategic interest in the Black Sea since annexing the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March. In addition to reinforcing its naval presence with new submarines, Russia is currently awaiting the delivery of a French-made Mistral-class assault carrier that will be stationed in the Crimean city of Sevastopol — home to the Black Sea Fleet."Submarines of this class are ideal for the Black Sea Fleet's area of operations," Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov said at the ceremony.The Kilo-class submarines are known for being exceptionally quiet. The ship uses diesel generators to charge its batteries, which power the electric motors that turn the ships' propellers when it is underwater, making it even quieter than a nuclear powered submarine.

Diesel-electric submarines such as the Rostov-on-Don are much smaller than nuclear powered submarines, such as the new Yasen-class attack submarine that joined the Northern Fleet last week, and perform very different combat roles. While nuclear attack submarines are designed for long range deployments in the ocean depths, diesel-electric submarines are intended to sink surface vessels and other submarines in shallow waters closer to home.

Russia has exported 19 Kilo-class submarines over the years since they were introduced to the Soviet Navy in the 1980s, including exports to China, Iran and India, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit organization that tracks the proliferation behaviors of major world powers.

A top member of the Abu Sayaf Group (ASG) was captured by the Philippine Navy with other government law enforcement agencies June 22, 2014.

Sattar Abdulla aka Abu Satar was captured while hiding in Tulnalutan Island, Zamboanga City by the Philippine Navy units.Sattar has a pending Warrant of Arrest and frequently being pursued by government law enforcers. He is alleged to be financing the ASG operations and known as one of the group’s members.
Sattar was reported and confirmed to be hiding in the said island near the main land of Zamboanga City. With this report, Joint Law enforcement Operations was organized with the National Bureau of Investigation, Task force Zamboanga, Recon Company, Zamboanga City Police and Naval Task Group 61.1 aboard PG118 as the interim Task Group Commander.

BRP Emilio Liwanag (PG118) with the Command group embarked with personnel from other law enforcement agencies together with Naval Operations Unit-6 and Naval Intelligence Service Group – Western Mindanao as the main effort. The mission was successfully accomplished without firefight and without any incurred injury or casualty on the government side and the nearby civilian populace of the targeted area.

A total of 52 combat vehicles, consisting of 26 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks and 26 medium-sized Marder 1A2 infantry fighting vehicles, will be shipped from the city of Unterluss following a brief ceremony early this week, which will be attended by Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Indonesia’s deputy defense minister, and Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, retired Army chief of staff.The purchase is part of the Indonesian government’s larger plan to modernize Indonesia’s aging military equipment and weaponry.

Germany had given defense firm Rheinmetall the green light in 2012 to export 104 Leopard 2A6 tanks, 50 Marder 1A2 infantry fighting vehicles and 10 other military carriers — including armored recovery vehicles, mobile bridges and military engineering vehicles — to Indonesia, German news portal Spiegel Online reported.According to Indonesian officials, the initial agreement for 130 tanks was valued at $280 million, while Rheinmentall’s press released placed the figure at 216 million euro, or $293.7 million. The deal includes training sessions, logistical support services and an initial supply of practice and service ammunition.

June 28, 2014

The United States Government transferred to the Nigerian Army non-armed Toyota Land Cruiser, communication and force protection equipment in support of the Nigerian Army’s battle against terrorism. These military equipment will enhance the operational capabilities of the Nigerian Army.

A statement by the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria said the equipment transferred included non-armed Toyota Land Cruiser , communication, and force protection equipment. Major General Ibrahim Sani, Chief of (Nigerian) Army Transformation and Innovation, received the equipment from the Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command in Africa, General James Linder on behalf of the Nigerian Army. The U.S. government has been supportive of the Nigerian government since the abduction of over 250 girls from their dormitory in Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, on April 14.

About 219 of the girls are still in the custody of the Boko Haram despite the global outcry and condemnation that trailed their abduction.The U.S. on Tuesday tried to clarify why the girls have not been freed despite the support of American officials in their search.Ambassador Phillip Carter of the US African Command (AFRICOM) said in Accra that the U.S. government is only assisting the Nigerian government in the search for the girls.The US Army is already training a 650-member Nigerian army 'Rangers' special anti-terror force.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday said that the first two South Korean made F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" jet aircraft will be delivered by September 2015.But prior this, Air Force pilots with high jet time and maintenance crews, will be first sent to South Korea for briefing and training.Gazmin expects delivery of the remaining F/A-50s to be completed within two years after the delivery of the first two."And after the F/A-50s, we are hoping that we will soon acquire our first modern fighter aircraft," the defense chief said in Filipino.The Philippines and South Korea signed the P18.9-billion contract for the 12 F/A-50 units last March 28.

The South Korean jet aircraft can be used to redevelop the supersonic capabilities of the PAF whose last supersonic planes, the Northrop F-5 "Tiger", was retired last 2005.The F/A-50, as per technical specifications obtained from the Department of National Defense (DND), can carry a total of 10,500lbs of weapons including an internal 20-mm automatic cannon, two short-ranged air-to-air AIM-9 "Sidewinder" missiles and air-to-surface AGM-65 missiles for close-air support.A guidance kit called the JDAM (joint direct attack munition) is also installed into the F/A-50, allowing it to convert unguided or "dumb bombs" into all-weather smart munitions.These bombs are outfitted with an inertial guidance system that is tied to a global positioning system receiver to guide the deployed munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, and to minimize collateral damage.This is the first-ever Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft to employ such weapons as the Northrop F-5 "Tiger" and Vought F-8 "Crusader" which are the country's first class supersonic fighters do not have the above-mentioned capabilities.

Both planes are only armed with 20mm cannons, air-to-air missiles and unguided bombs and rockets.The Philippines retired its F-8 fleet sometime in 1990 due to maintenance costs.Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI)'s F/A-50 has a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one and half times the speed of sound.The F/A-50 will act as the country's interim fighter until the Philippines get enough experience of operating fast jet assets and money to fund the acquisition of more capable fighter aircraft.The F/A-50 design is largely derived from the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", and they have many similarities: use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4-1.5.